Austria's conservatives tasked with forming government

VIENNA — Austria's president on Tuesday tasked conservative leader Karl Nehammer with trying to form a government with the Social Democrats, saying the far right was unable to "find a coalition partner" following its historic election win.

The far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) topped September 29 national polls for the first time, winning 28.8 percent of the vote, ahead of the ruling conservative People's Party (OeVP) with 26.3 per cent.

The centre-left Social Democrats (SPOe) came third with 21.1 per cent.

So far all parliamentary parties have excluded working with the FPOe under its radical leader Herbert Kickl, creating stalemate in the Alpine country.

The decision by President Alexander Van der Bellen to tap the conservatives came after talks between the country's three strongest parties on potential future cooperation had yielded no results.

"Herbert Kickl will not find a coalition partner, who will make him chancellor," Van der Bellen, a former Greens leader, told reporters on Tuesday.

"The task now is to find another way" to bring about a stable government, the president said, adding he had informed outgoing chancellor Nehammer this morning that he will be mandated to form a government as the "leader of the second-strongest party in parliament".

"I also asked him to enter into immediate negotiations with the Social Democratic Party," he added.

Having voiced past reservations about Kickl, Van der Bellen has promised to ensure the formation of a government that respects the "foundations of our liberal democracy".

The OeVP — which has ruled the Alpine country of nine million since 1987 — has already governed twice with the FPOe as junior partners — in 2000 and again in 2017.

While Nehammer said he is open to talks with the FPOe, he has repeatedly stressed that working with Kickl is a no-go.

OeVP and SPOe have also governed together in the past, but this time would need to ask a third party to join them to form a stable government.

A three-party governing coalition would be a first in Austria.